Heatherwick Studio has just announced its design for transforming Seoul’s renowned Hanwha Galleria. Following a competition aimed at reimagining six sites across the South Korean capital, Heatherwick Studio seeks to highlight South Korea’s rising status as a global cultural hub. Featuring two twin hourglass-shaped structures, the proposed design challenge traditionally designed luxury department stores worldwide.
Situated at a major crossroads in the city with views over the Han River, Hawha Galleria is located in the Apgujeong-dong neighborhood, serving as a bridge between Gangnam’s residential and shopping districts. The design also aligns with Seoul’s broader vision to revitalize the Han Riverbanks. Redefining the store’s integration into its local context, the new design uses the facade and surrounding spaces as public areas accessible to everyone for shopping or leisure in the neighborhood.
The Galleria is comprised up of two identical but symmetrically opposed twin structures that are joined below ground by a subway. Their silhouettes above resemble hourglasses with ripples, while the smaller necks inside function as green-filled public areas. Additionally, On the podium level, the unique shapes of the structures frame the river views when looking through and between the buildings.
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Traditionally, department stores are quite inward facing, they feel closed off to the surrounding streets. But here we have an important intersection in Apgujeong with two buildings, east and west, that felt like an opportunity to unite people. Combined with Hanwha’s ambition to bring more activity to the buildings, we wanted to provide a strong overall silhouette that creates a gateway, but also gives Seoulites new garden-like spaces to meet, shop and enjoy their city. –Neil Hubbard, partner and group leader at Heatherwick studio
The new subway’s light-filled, spacious entry atria leads guests into two landscaped ground-level plazas. They proceed to an open mid-level area filled with eateries, stores, and cafes. Together with the glass facade, the newly installed open rooftops with lots of plants give an additional green area and a variety of perspectives and reflections of the city. The external areas are designed to provide natural elements throughout the year with a choice of native plants and careful landscaping. Due to their double-layered skin, both buildings are more environmentally friendly, aiming to highlight a unique shift between day and night.
In other similar news, Thomas Heatherwick has been appointed as the General Director and curator of the 2025 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in its fifth edition. Additionally, the studio has just won the global competition to transform Seoul’s uninhabited Nodeul Island on the Han River into a lively public park. Heatherwick Studio recently unveiled the design of a new large-scale glass canopy to become one of the main attractions of Olympia in London, an ambitious regeneration project aimed at transforming the exhibition halls in London into global culture destinations.
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